Synopsis
Daybreak is a fresh, upbeat approach to morning devotions and prayer. Host Paul Sadek leads you in spiritual reflections and meditations from the daily Mass readings, Morning Prayer, the Holy Fathers teachings, writing of the saints, and more.
Episodes
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Daybreak for May 19, 2025
19/05/2025 Duration: 51minMonday of the Fifth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Pudentiana; legend has her as the daughter of the Roman senator named in St. Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy who gave away her wealth to the poor, aided the burials of Christians, and died at the age of sixteen Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/19/25 Gospel: John 14:21-26
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Daybreak for May 18, 2025
18/05/2025 Duration: 59minFifth Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/18/25 Gospel: John 13:31-35
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Daybreak for May 16, 2025
16/05/2025 Duration: 59minFriday of the Fourth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Simon Stock; brought the Carmelite order from the Holy Land to Europe, and changed it from a hermit order to one of mendicant friars; received an apparition from the Blessed Mother in 1251, in which she gave him the brown scapular Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/16/25 Gospel: John 14:1-6
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Daybreak for May 15, 2025
15/05/2025 Duration: 59minThursday of the Fourth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Isidore the Famer, 1070-1130; born in Madrid, Spain, and spent most of life as a laborer on a farm outside of the city; he was favored with celestial visions, and it is said that angels sometimes assisted with his field work; he the patron of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference in the United States Office of Readings and Morning Prayer Gospel: John 13:16-20
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Daybreak Wednesday 051425
14/05/2025 Duration: 59minFeast of St. Matthias; after the Ascension, Matthias was chosen to replace Judas in the college of Apostles Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/14/25 Gospel: John 15:9-17
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Daybreak for May 13, 2025
13/05/2025 Duration: 59minTuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/13/25 Gospel: John 10:22-30
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Daybreak for May 12, 2025
12/05/2025 Duration: 51minMonday of the Fourth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Pancras; born at the end of the Third Century, and brought up by an uncle; they both became Christians; Pancras, age 14, was beheaded in the persecution of Diocletian; he is highly venerated in England Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/12/25 Gospel: John 10:1-10
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Daybreak for May 11, 2025
11/05/2025 Duration: 59minFourth Sunday of Easter - Good Shepherd Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/11/25 Gospel: John 10:27-30
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Daybreak for May 10, 2025
10/05/2025 Duration: 59minSaturday of the Third Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Damien de Veuster of Molokai, 1840-1889; joined the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and was assigned to the Hawaiian Islands; in 1873, he went to the government's leper colony on Molokai, and volunteered to remain permanently, caring for the people’s physical, medical, and spiritual needs; Damien contracted Hansen's disease--i.e., leprosy--himself, and died of its complications Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/10/25 Gospel: John 6:60-69
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Daybreak for May 9, 2025
09/05/2025 Duration: 51minFriday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Beatus of Lungern; monk and hermit, the apostle of Switzerland; baptized in England by St. Barnabas, ordained by St. Peter, he went to Switzerland; he lived and died on Mount Beatenburg above Lake Thun Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/9/25 Gospel: John 6:52-59
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Daybreak for May 8, 2025
08/05/2025 Duration: 51minThursday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Desideratus; brother of Desiderius and Deodatus; as courtier in the court of King Clotaire, he fought heresy and simony; in 541, he became bishop of Bourges; he attended several councils that condemned Nestorianism and Eutychianism; Desideratus was reputed to have performed miracles and was known for his peace making abilities; he died in 550 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/8/25 Gospel: John 6:44-51
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Daybreak for May 7, 2025
07/05/2025 Duration: 51minWednesday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. John of Beverly; became a monk at Whitby, and was then named bishop of Hexham in 687; he was transferred to York in 705 as metropolitan; John was known for his holiness, his preference for the contemplative life, and his miracles, many of which are recounted in Bede's Ecclesiastical History, the author of which he had ordained; he retired to Beverly Abbey, which he had founded, in 717, and remained there until his death in 721 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/7/25 Gospel: John 6:35-40
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Daybreak for May 6, 2025
06/05/2025 Duration: 51minTuesday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Petronax, 670-747; became a Benedictine in Brescia in 717, and was asked by Pope St. Gregory to visit the ruins of Monte Cassino, which had been damaged by the Lombards in 580; Petronax visited St. Benedict's tomb, and then gathered the hermits who occupied the old abbey, and began to rebuild; he was elected abbot, and ruled Monte Cassino for three decades; Petronax is often called the "second founder of Monte Cassino" Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/6/25 Gospel: John 6:30-35
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Daybreak for May 5, 2025
05/05/2025 Duration: 51minMonday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Hilary of Arles, 400-449; born in Lorraine, and joined Honoratus at Lerins Abbey; Honoroatus became bishop of Arles, and when he died in 429, Hilary succeeded him; Hilary was known for his austerities, his aid to the poor, and for ransoming captives; two disagreements with Pope Leo the Great ended in reconciliation; Hilary's sanctity brought him great veneration Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/5/25 Gospel: John 6:22-29
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Daybreak for May 4, 2025
04/05/2025 Duration: 59minThird Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/4/25 Gospel: John 21:1-19
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Daybreak for May 3, 2025
03/05/2025 Duration: 59minFeast of Saints Philip and James, apostles Saturday of the Second Week of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/3/25 Gospel: John 14:6-14
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Daybreak for May 2, 2025
02/05/2025 Duration: 51minFriday of the Second Week of Easter Memorial of St. Athanasius, 296-373; became a theological advisor to the Council of Nicaea while still in his late 20's; an ardent opponent of Arianism and defender of the divinity of the Son of Man; wrote many works on the Incarnation and the Trinity as well as The Life of Anthony, which helped define and foster both monastic living and the writing of saints’ lives Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/2/25 Gospel: John 6:1-15
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Daybreak for May 1, 2025
01/05/2025 Duration: 51minThursday of the Second Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker; instituted by Pope Pius XII in 1955 to foster devotion to St. Joseph, and in response to the celebrations for workers sponsored by Communists Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/1/25 Gospel: John 3:31-36
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Daybreak for April 30, 2025
30/04/2025 Duration: 51minWednesday of the Second Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Pope St. Pius V, 1504-1572; as pope, he had the task of implementing the reforms of the Council of Trent; he ordered the founding of seminaries, published a new missal. a new breviary, and a new catechism, and established the Confraternity of Christian doctrine classes for the young; he continued to wear his Dominican habit, which led to the custom of the pope wearing a white cassock Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/30/25 Gospel: John 3:16-21
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Daybreak for April 29, 2025
29/04/2025 Duration: 51minTuesday of the Second Week of Easter Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, 1347-1380; entered the Dominican Third Order at age 18, and spent the next three years in seclusion, prayer, and austerity; a group of followers developed; Catherine's letters began to take more note of public affairs, as she worked tirelessly for the crusade against the Turks and for peace between Florence and the pope; the Great Schism began in 1378, and Catherine spent the last two years of her life in Rome, in prayer and pleading on behalf of the cause of Pope Urban VI and the unity of the Church Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/29/25 Gospel: John 3:7b-15